Shipping thread - Blackmagic Cinema Camera

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[url="http://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/1255-shipping-thread-blackmagic-cinema-camera/#entry17476"][b]Scroll down to here for latest update[/b][/url]

This is the thread to post your updates related to shipping here. If you get news from a dealer, or if you phone up - let us all know.

[b]My current shipping update[/b]

CVP retail unit - no firm date yet. Number 7 in line. Rumoured first batch contains 30 cameras. IBC shipping announcement rumoured from 6th. So hopefully an update on this will come soon.

Blackmagic - Demo units were allocated to beta testers since late August, not for marketing reasons. The beta test program is very small. At my count there are around 10 cameras out there. Major sites such as Gizmodo, Engadget and DPReview are not beta testers so don't have a camera yet.

Joshua Helling (Director of World Wide Support) and John Brawley (main beta tester and DP) said on the 31st August the camera was 'shipping to dealers' but in small quantities. However 1 week later (Sep 5th) no dealer is prepared to give shipping date to customers, or have yet taken delivery of stock.

Blackmagic's CEO Grant Petty says they want to hear beta tester feedback before shipping. As the beta testers only got their cameras at short notice at the end of August it is unlikely this feedback is on Grant's desk yet. It could be that the beta test feedback will be considered before shipping ramps up.

Hopefully dealers are taking the spotlight provided by IBC on the 6th to flick the switch and ship their just-recieved stock to the first customers in line.

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The camera's production has been hobbled by a parts shortage. Terry from Blackmagic:

"[color=#444444][font=Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(236, 236, 236)]Would love to give dates and a more exact timeline, but right now we can't until we get info on when that slow to arrive component will arrive in bulk. When we know that, we will communicate when we will be shipping in volume right away."[/background][/size][/font][/color]

To get an idea of how short supplied it is at the moment, after all that time to ramp up, the biggest dealer in the UK (CVP) got just 1 demo unit, with the rest going to the IBC stand in Amsterdam and 1 more to Jigsaw, another large UK pro video dealer. B&H got between 3 and 8 units according to reports, and they shipped a few to some extremely lucky customers.

I have a trip to the UK planned tomorrow, essentially it was in anticipation of the camera. Now I will be spending time with family before returning to Berlin for just a few days before Photokina begins in Cologne. Then I'll be in Croatia for 2 weeks. So unless Blackmagic can pull a rabbit out of the hat, I'm as fucked as you all are.

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I'm leaving italy in october to shoot a documentary in south america and it all was planned because we thought we were going to have 2 black magic cinema cameras with us. So right now I'm pretty damn concerned...hope they find the rabbit and start shipping by the end of september...

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BMC might well be commmiting to MFT mount version hence their hesitence and delay in producing EF mount. The delay may help facilitate those who pre-ordered time to switch their orders to MFT. Rather the delay than risking so many EF mount BMC sitting on the shelves.

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[quote name='EOSHD' timestamp='1347149734' post='17625']
Also there's a lot of people with Canon glass who will still be better off with the EF mount. You can't use Canon glass on the MTF version as there's no way to control the aperture.
[/quote]

That's true, but only because the MFT mount hasn't been properly implemented, I see no reason for it not being active (considering the EF one is) except for it being a rushed decision.
This issue has been pointed out as soon as they first announced the camera, but BMD only realized how serious it might be around release time.

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Boss of company appears on message board to belatedly explain delay without really committing to a firm delivery date, throws a bone with some new features that will be included thanks to this delay and everyone thanks him profusely.